Quilting is becoming an increasingly important and integral part of my life. My creative outlet changes how I view the world around me, influences the activities I pursue with my family, and introduces me to new people whose life paths wouldn't ordinarily intersect mine. My life is much like my favorite types of quilts - scrappy and unconventional, full of interest and surprises, and with an underlying current of making do (and making something beautiful!) with what I have.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

No longer outnumbered!

Friday was the big day - I picked up the four newest members of our family on my way home from work, four molting 2-year-old laying hens. Allow me to introduce...

Scratch, Peck, Beakless and Tailfeathers!

(side note: those of you who are my Facebook friends know that I had to explain to my 6-year-old son why it was not a good idea to name one of them "Pecker" - she's now just "Peck" and I'm pretty sure we narrowly missed some awkward conversations with unwitting strangers...)

Jason is completely enamored with the hens. Since they are molting, they aren't in full egg laying mode right now, but we did get three eggs this weekend. The first egg made it to just inside the door before the boys dropped it. Ick! The second one made it safely to the house in our basket dedicated to egg collection. Jason ate it for breakfast and said it tasted "better and healthier" than the ones we get from the store. He spent much of the weekend waiting for egg number 3. Poor hens - I told Jason he is going to give them performance anxiety if he keeps waiting around for them every time they head up into the nesting boxes!

My mother-in-law did make it to our house this weekend. I dragged her to the birthday party we were to go to on Saturday afternoon, and then Saturday night we sat up late around a campfire roasting marshmallows while she strummed guitar and we sang Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young's "Our House" - I love that song!

Today was my 12th wedding anniversary - in 2 days it will be 19 years since I first met my husband. Do you know that Brad Paisley song, "Then"? That's how I feel about my husband, Adam. I can't believe how I love him more and more every year. Anyway, Jason and my mother-in-law shooed us back into bed when we got up so they could serve us breakfast in bed. I then spent the rest of the morning hand quilting on the porch with my MIL - can you say "PERFECT DAY?"

After she left, I showered, whipped up a potluck dish and a going away gift for some friends (a matching crayon roll and travel tissue case for a mom of 3 boys age 6 and under), and we hopped in the car to go to their going away party. If there are any of you who have never visited the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I encourage you to put it on the list of places to visit. Even just driving down the highway is gorgeous, but the back road route from our remote dirt road home to their remote dirt road home was just breathtaking. I need to remember to appreciate the blessings I have, including living in such a beautiful place, and not take it for granted just because I see it every day.

(By the way, if you are wondering about the title of my post, a year ago, I was so outnumbered - the only female with a husband, two boys, two male cats and a male dog. Now, the numbers are even. Granted, my fellow females are a neurotic rescue hound and 4 molting hens, but I'll take what I can get!)

Sounds like a lovely weekend! I have laughed many times at "Pecker"....shared with Rick and he is laughing too. Just too precious! The picture of Jason waiting for the eggs is just too much!!! Bless his heart! Have a wonderful week!Becky